Washing



No-Model.) I 2Sheets--Sheet'1.

M. T. GIBBS. WASHING; SGOURING, AND DRYING GRAIN.

. N 57 .401 I I Patehted Feb. 2, 1897.

INVENTOH ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. T-. GIBBS. WASHING, SGOU'RING, AND DRYING GRAIN.

Patented Feb. 2; 1897.

ATTORNEYS.

THE Noan s PETERS c0 movammm WASHINGTON, a, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MILTON T. GIBBS, OF MA YVILLE, NORTH DAKOTA.

WASHING, SCOURING, AND DRYING GRAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,401, dated February 2, 1897.

Application filed March 31, 1896.

To all whom it brag concern:

Be it known that I, MILTON T. GIBBs, of Mayville, in the county of Traill and State of North Dakota, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing, Scouring,

ing the water from the surface of the kernel and providing a rapid process of rein ovingthis water by force, in contradistinction to the process of evaporation.

The invention consists principally in a method whereby the grain while in motion is first subjected to the action of jets of water to loosen the impurities on the outside of the kernels and then immediately subjected to a compressed-air blast to remove the water and loosened impurities.

The invention further consists in an apparatus of especial construction, as hereinafter 1 more fully described, and pointed out in the claims. 7

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is asectional side elevation of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

The improved washing,.scouring, and dry ing machine is provided with a suitably-constructed frame A, on which is held a fixed shaft 13, having hollow portions B B and carrying on one end 'a conical bearing 0 for a pulley O to revolve on, said pulley being connected by belt with suitable machinery for imparting a rotary motion to the pulley. On the inwardly-extending hub O of this pulley O are secured spokes D of a drum D, revolvin g within a stationary closed casing E, sup- Serial No. 585,563. (No model.)

ported on the main frame A. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) .i

The end of the drum F opposite to that on which the spokes D are located is provided with radial spokes D projecting from a hub D mounted to turnona fixed bearing F, secured on the outside of the curved grain-inlet F, provided with an upwardly-extending spout F connected with a suitable source of grain-supply. The grain passing down this spout F into the inlet F is discharged by the latter into the drum D in front of a head F closing this end of the casing and the parts contained therein, the grain being deflected downwardly by a deflector F, secured to the stationary shaft B. The grain fiowin g downward upon the bottom of the drum D is subj ected to the action of jets of water issuing through a longitudinally-extending spout G, supported on hollow arms G, secured to the shaft B at the left hollow portion B thereof, this portion beingconnected at its outer end with a suitable source of water-supply, so that water passing through this portion and the hollow arms G can pass into the longitudinal spout G, from which the water passes outward and downward in small jets upon the grain. The grain in passing into the drum D is taken up by the latter as the drum revolves in the directionof the arrow a, the grain being finally scraped off the inner face of the drum by a scraper H, pivoted at Hto a projecting arm of a casing I, held Within the drum D on arms I attached to the shaft 13, said casing being made segmental in cross-section, as plainly illustrated in Fig. 3.

On the under side of the scraperH are spiral blades H for causing the grain passing under the scraper to be moved longitudinally in the direction of the arrow 1), the rear end of said scraper discharging upon the inner face of the casing I, which inner face is made in the form of a screen I, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3.

Now it will be seen that by the arrangement described the grain entering at the drum D by the inlet F is subjected to the jets of water issuing through the spout G and is earried up by the drum, removed therefrom, and moved longitudinally forward by the spiral blades H to finally be discharged forcibly against the screen I, thus allowing the water charged with the loosened impurities to pass through the meshes of the said screen, while the grain rolls down the same back upon the drum, but a distance forward in the direction of the arrow 1), to be again subjected to the action of the water, carried up by the drum and again scraped off by the scraper H. This operation is repeated again and again in rapid succession on the kernels until the grain has moved suiiiciently forward to be out of reach of the water issuing through the right-hand end of the spout G, the grain now being taken up by the drum D and delivered by the scraper H upon the screen 1 of the casing I and subjected to the act-ion of a compressed-air blast issuing through a spout J, extending longitudinally in the casing and delivering the air in the direction of the upper endof the screen I, aswill be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2. The grain rolling down the screen I is subjected to the air-blast again and again in rapid succession, while the water and any loosenedimpurities not carried off by the suction-current of the air and the forcible proj ection of the grain against the screen are now forcibly removed from the surface of the kernels and driven through the screen 1 into the casing I. It is understood that the air serves as the princi pal agent to dry the grain.

The spout J is connected by hollow arms J with the hollow. portion B of the stationary shaft 13, which hollow portion 13 is separated from the other hollow portion, 13', by a trans,- verse-partition 13 as indicated in dotted lines in: Fig. 1. The outer end of the hollow portion B is connected with asuitable source of compressed-air supply, the air passingfinally removed by the scraper II and again delivered. tothe screen I, on which the grain.

rolls; downto be subjected again to the action of the air-blast, and this operation is repeated until the grain has moved forward in the direction. of thearrow-b, by the action of the bladeslrl until the grain, leaves the righthand open end; of the drum D to pass into. a spout E, formed in the bottom; of the casing E. This spout E delivers the grain at the outside'of the machine into suitable bins, receptacles, or the like.

The. left-hand end of the casing I opens intoa pipe K, connected with a suction-fan L of any approved construction and having its shaft L journaled in the frame A, and a pulley L on the shaft is connected by a belt with the pulley 0. Thus when the drum D is rotated the suction-fan L is set in motion, so that the water, impurities, and other matter are drawn by the suction-fan into the pipe K, which contains a discharge-receptacle K, formed in its bottom, with an outlet-spout K for carrying off the impurities.

It is understood that the head F previously mentioned is formed with a segmental slot F for the passage of the left-hand end of the casin g I, so that the latter opens into the pipe K, connected with the suction-fan L. By this arrangement the impurities travel to the left while the grain is moved forward to the right, so that the grain is completely dried at the time it reaches the spout E. It will further be seen that a thorough scouring and polishing of the grain takes place, as the grain is permitted to roll down the screen I" after it is subjected to the air-hlast..

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The herein-described method of scouring and drying grain, consisting in first subjecting the grain while in motion to the action of jets of water-toloosenthe impurities on the kernels, then moving-the grain upward and delivering it by centrifugal force against a sieve, then subjecting the grain while on the sieve to the action. of an air-blast, forcing the water charged with the impurities of the grain through the sieve to be disposed: of, the grain rolling down on the sieve for further scouring, all as set forth.

2. An apparatus of the class described, comprising arevolubl'e drum, a stationary screen or sieve inclosed in said drum, and a scraper adapted to removethe grain from. the inner surface of said; drum, and to guide the grain to the sieve, all substantiallyas shown and described.

8. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a. revolubledrum adapted to receive the grain at one end, a scraper in engagement with the inner surface of saiddrum, to remove the-grainfrom the inner surface-of the drum, said scraper being provided with spirally-arranged blades, and a stationary casing within said drum: and formed with an inner face of netting upon which discharges said-L scraper, substantially as shown. and described.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a revoluble drum, a water-spout extending. within said drum and connected with. a water-supply tosubject the grain pass ing into the drum to jets of water andanairpipe arranged within said drum to: subject the previously-wetted-I grain to the action. of an air-blast, substantially as shown and described.

5. An apparatus of the class described, comprisinga revoluble drum, a watenspout extending longitudinally within said drum and connected with awater-supply, to subject the grain passing into the drum to jets of water, and a compressed air spout arranged longitudinally within said drum, to subject the previously-wetted grain to the action of a compressed-air blast, substantially as shown and described.

6. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a revoluble drum provided at one end with a grain-inlet, a scraper arranged within the drum and in contact at one end with the inner surface of the drum to remove the grain therefrom, said scraper being provided with spirally-arranged blades, a fixed segmental casing within said drum and having its inner face formed of wire-netting, the rear end of the scraper discharging the grain on the upper end of said netting, a longitudinal water-spout within said drum near one end thereof, and a longitudinal compressedair spout within said drum and extending toward the other end of the drum and pointing toward said netting, substantially as shown and described.

7. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a revoluble drum provided at one end with a grain-inlet, a scraper arranged within the drum and in contact at one end with the inner surface of the drum, to remove the grain therefrom, said scraper being provided with spirally-arranged blades, a fixed segmental casing within said drum and having its inner face formed of wire-netting, the

rear end of the scraper discharging the grain on the upper end of said netting, a longitudinal water-spout within said drum near one end thereof, a longitudinal compressed-air spout within said drum and extending toward the other end of the drum and pointing toward said netting, and a suction-fan connected with one end of said casin g, to remove the impurities therefrom, substantially as shown and described.

8. An apparatus of the class described, provided with a fixed casing, a revolu'ble drum inclosed in said casing with an air-space between said drum and easing, a receptacle connected with said space by a flue or pipe, and extending below said flue and a suctionfan connected with said receptacle, and fine substantially as shown and described.

9. An apparatus of the class described, provided with a stationary casing within a revoluble drum, said casing being provided with an inner face of wire-netting and with one end open to connect with a suction-fan, substantially as shown and described.

MILTON T. GIBBS. 

